For those of you wondering what Lasik surgery is all about, read on. If you'd rather be spared the details, you may want to skip this post. I'm a very detail-oriented person, and I often blog to record memories for myself in addition to the enjoyment of my readers.
As mentioned in a
previous post, my Lasik appointment was scheduled for yesterday at 11:00AM. We arrived to the surgery center early, and I began to become a little less anxious after, not one, but two 0.5 mg doses of Xanax. I was tense needless to say. Ms. Becky, my nurse from the consultation, led me to a examination room. She showed me the three post-op eye drops I would need to use and gave me instructions on how and when to use them. Thank goodness James came into the room with me, because I was already zoning out. The doctor then performed a wave-scan on my eyes. I basically just looked into a device and stared at a red design of light. The scan results gave my doctor the green light to go ahead with my surgery. He then explained the details of all I would experience in the operating room. He asked me if I had any questions, and of course, I couldn't think of a single thing even though I felt like I should have. Oh well.
A nurse who I'd never seen before instructed me to wear a blue hair-net type covering and blue shoe coverings, and she led me into the operating room. She then told me to sit in the high reclined chair positioned in the middle of the room. She leaned the chair all the way back until I felt as if I'd slide off. She assured me that I wouldn't. I didn't say a word about it, but perhaps she sensed my hesitation. The nurse put numbing drops in both my eyes and then covered my left eye with a pad. Her job from then on was to hold my hand and rub my arm to support me during the surgery. This was surprisingly calming even though I didn't know her from Adam. She never even told me her name. Regardless, I was thankful she was there for me.
The doctor came in about that time and placed a tape-like material on both my upper and lower eyelids. He then put the eye speculum into place on my right eye. The doctor told me to keep looking at the red blinking light no matter what. I felt the strange pressure that the doctor had told me about beforehand. It didn't hurt at all, but it definitely did not feel natural either. I'm not exactly sure what was happening at that moment, but I do know that was when he cut the flap in my cornea. Everything faded to black. He told me this was supposed to happen, so I just kept looking for the red blinking light to return. When it did, I felt so much relief knowing that my vision wasn't gone for good. The stammering noise I heard next indicated that the laser was working its magic. After the noise stopped, the doctor doused my eye with water and replaced my cornea flap. I did not feel any pain or see anything other than the red blinking light.
After he finished my right eye, he removed the eye speculum and tape-like substance and asked if I'd like to go on with my left eye. I said, "We might as well." I was glad I could somewhat joke with him despite the awkward circumstances. At this point during the surgery, I remember hearing techno music on the radio. I wanted to ask "Who chose
this station?", but I decided against it so I wouldn't distract anyone. When I go to my next appointment, I may suggest they play something a little more soothing and a little less
disco dance party.
The left eye procedure matched the right one exactly. The entire procedure took no more than 10-15 minutes. As soon as I stood up from the reclined chair, the nurse tried to show me how different my vision was by telling me to look at the clock hanging on the wall. I struggled to do so, because the light in the room was so bright. I couldn't keep my eyes open for more than a second. The nurse led me back into the examination room where the doctor checked my eyes once more. He said everything looked great, and they sent us on our way.
I felt pretty miserable for the next hour. I told James the day before that I wanted a peppermint shake from Steak and Shake after the surgery. He drove us around to the drive-thru window, and we ate in the parking lot. There was no way that I could have gone inside. The sunlight was too much to handle. It reminded me of what it must have been like for Paul when he was blinded by Christ on the Road to Damascus. I literally pulled my coat over my head and stayed that way until we got home. My eyes poured with tears during the drive back to Martin. Thank the good Lord for Hydrocodone though. It kicked in somewhere around Milan, so I slept most of the way.
When we arrived home, James put me to bed with my "sleep goggles" and I slept for the next several hours. I haven't slept that good since my foot surgery back in 2006. When I finally woke up, I felt so much better, and I could see! Even though I wanted to watch tv and hang out with James, the doctor instructed me to keep my eyes shut until the day after the surgery. James was adamant about doing what the doctor said, so to follow protocol, I popped some more pain pills and slept until 6:30AM on Friday.
Today I woke up amazed that I could actually see. I felt well rested and ready to go to my last class of the semester. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I attended my final 8:00AM class the day after my Lasik surgery. Honestly though, I couldn't really see the Smartboard because my eyes haven't completely healed. After class, I drove (doctor's orders) to my follow-up exam where my doctor said my eyes look perfect. I have another appointment next week where he'll test my vision to see how well I'm improving. He says my vision will continue to improve over the next three months. I've already seen a difference since this morning. It truly is amazing that I can see right now!
With the exception of the uncomfortable drive home from the surgery center, I am extremely pleased so far with the results of my Lasik experience, and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to improve their quality of life by lessening their dependence on glasses and/or contacts.
